Baguio City council: No to additional taxi units
>> Wednesday, October 28, 2020
By Aldwin
Quitasol
BAGUIO CITY -- The City Council voiced its strong
opposition against the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board’s
(LTFRB) insistence to accept applicants for 200 taxi units to replace “expired
and abandoned” franchises.
Citing studies and recommendations submitted by the Traffic and Transportation Management Division of the City Engineering Office and petition papers from different transport groups, the council said additional taxi units will do more harm than good.
There are currently 3,227 active taxi franchises in Baguio City as per an LTFRB report.
The council said the number is sufficient to cater to the needs of the riding public in the region.
A study cited by the Council committee on public utilities, transportation and traffic stated the city requires only 2,452 taxi units for Baguio residents and 769 units for LISTT (La Trinidad, Itogon, Sablan, Tuba and Tublay) areas, or a total of 3,121 units for BLISTT.
The taxi units operate mainly in Baguio City.
The committee report said deficiency in the supply of taxi units can be resolved by lifting the existing number coding policy for cabs only, which would mean more units plying the city roads.
The preparation of the Land Public Transport Route Plan (LPTRP) is another ground for setting aside the plan to add more cabs, the committee noted.
“The LPTRP will promote mass transportation ridership through efficient fleet management. Its implementation will create an impact on the riding behavior of the public and it is expected to reduce the use of regular taxis. There is likewise a need to study further the use of other transport systems that cater to unserved areas that are not served by regular taxis,” the committee report read.
The committee further slammed the LTFRB for not heeding the call of the local government to abort its plan to open the application for additional taxi units.
The move contradicts LTFRB’s existing moratorium on the issuance of franchises in the city, the council said.
Citing studies and recommendations submitted by the Traffic and Transportation Management Division of the City Engineering Office and petition papers from different transport groups, the council said additional taxi units will do more harm than good.
There are currently 3,227 active taxi franchises in Baguio City as per an LTFRB report.
The council said the number is sufficient to cater to the needs of the riding public in the region.
A study cited by the Council committee on public utilities, transportation and traffic stated the city requires only 2,452 taxi units for Baguio residents and 769 units for LISTT (La Trinidad, Itogon, Sablan, Tuba and Tublay) areas, or a total of 3,121 units for BLISTT.
The taxi units operate mainly in Baguio City.
The committee report said deficiency in the supply of taxi units can be resolved by lifting the existing number coding policy for cabs only, which would mean more units plying the city roads.
The preparation of the Land Public Transport Route Plan (LPTRP) is another ground for setting aside the plan to add more cabs, the committee noted.
“The LPTRP will promote mass transportation ridership through efficient fleet management. Its implementation will create an impact on the riding behavior of the public and it is expected to reduce the use of regular taxis. There is likewise a need to study further the use of other transport systems that cater to unserved areas that are not served by regular taxis,” the committee report read.
The committee further slammed the LTFRB for not heeding the call of the local government to abort its plan to open the application for additional taxi units.
The move contradicts LTFRB’s existing moratorium on the issuance of franchises in the city, the council said.
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